Heat interchange device



June 7, 1938. c. H..wENTwoRTH 2,119,761

HEAT INTERCHANGE DEV'IQE Filed June 18, 1935 `intimal June 7, iosa 1 i "2,119,761

UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAT INTERCHANGE DEVICE clinton n. Wentworth, Les Angeles. osiif. Application June 1s, 1935, sei-isi No.' 251,222

2 claims. (01.251-255i 'Ihis invention relates to heat 'interchange count of the small size of the view which is devices and is more particularly directed to that vmainly intended to illustrate the general arrangegeneral type of device which embodies in the ment ofthe parts. structure a series of parallel tubes and associated Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly brokenaway fins. and in section.` 'Y 5 It is an' object of the present invention to pro- Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail elevation of a poil'-n vide a structure embodying parallel tubes and astion of Fig. 1, partly in section to more clrly sociated radiating fins of corrugated form with show the details of eonstrueion. y the corrugations thereof of such depth as to ex- Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the supporting tend from one tube to the next adjacent tube brackets of said unit.

with the several alternate crests of said corruga- Fig. 5 is a Perspective View of a Portion of one tions directly engaging and formed to embrace of the radiating ns of the devieesbown in Fig. 1- the adjacent tubes, whereby, aA good thermal Fig. 6v is an end elevation `0I a multiple ruw Contact between the tubes and nns and a rela.- unit, partly broken aWay and in `seetion y l5. tively large total area of heat radiating'surface Fig- 7 is a Perslleetive View of a Portion of l5 is provided, Vthe entire space between adjacent one of the radiating fins of tle unitlsllown in tubes becomes divided into a multiplicity of trans- Fig- 6- A verse air passages, and the several corrugations Fig. 8 is an end elevation of a single ereuit provide directly connected reinforcing elements double roW unit employing two series of the raconnecting the several tubes to form an integral dieting rls disclosed in Fig'. 5- m self-supporting structure. Fl- 9 is a plan View of a Portion of the llue- A further object of the invention is to pro- Corrugated metal ribbon from which the reslllee-4 vide depressions in all of the several crests, with tive n's are formed, and the several depressions longitudinally aligned to Fig'. 10 is an end elevation of said metal ribbonreceive the adjacent tubes, whereby the several The Single circuit or single pass single mwdmit 25 crests partly embrace and thus form better therillustrated in Fig. 1 is of the general form use mal contacts. with the associated tubes than can ally employed in domestic refrigeratingapllarams be had by merely engaging'the apices ofthe sevas ,a Condenser unit and comprises a oontlnuens eral corrugation crests with said tubes. eonduitC bent to sinuous form to Provide a row 3o Another object of the invention is toform such of relatively spaeed Parallel tuiles lo through 30 depressions by depressing and crimping a portion Whioh the refrigerant is eireulated.and a Sen' i of each crest ofsaid fins in such a manner as of radiating fins F associated with' the several to form ridges and folds at such depression and tubes- In, the manufacture of this unit. the sevto distort the adjacent connecting wall so as to eolns are aSSembled between the tubesnnde'nd provide distorted air passages which will produce plates or'brackets B are slipped over the ends and 35 an appreciable turbulence in the airpcurrents return bends of 'the Conduit andthe elim passing through the unit. f dipped in a suitable flux and into a bath of molten It is another object ofthe invention to provide Solder or,otllel suitable metal to bond together -5 a fin structure formed entirely of deformed mathe severaipal'ts in to an integral stl'uoture, the

40 terial, and since it is preferable that such deend Plates having the necessary holes Il and 40 formations extend perpendicular to the air paselongated apertures l2 to Permit suell millingssges or lengthwise of the strip of metal from The nnsare preferably assembled between une. which the nn is made, it is a, further object to tubes of the sinuous conduit by sliding um provide a structure in which eacli of these ns longitudinally. between two adjaoent tubes. the

is formed of a metal ribbon which has been relsueeessive iins lthus entering at opposite 21MB of 45 atively slightly pre-corrugated longitudinally. the tube unit between adjacent return bends with Various other ,objects and advantages will be their depressions engaging the adjnoent tubes. more fully apparent from the following descrip- It will be notedthat each of the radiating ilus tion of the accompanying drawing which forms a. is deeply Corrugated so es to extend from one tube part of this disclosure and which illustrates a t0 the next adlaeent tube, thus there is required 50 preferred form of embodiment of the invention. only one of-thesenm for the space between elch OI the drawing; two'adjacent tubes. The entire space between Fig. 1 is an elevation of a heat i'nterchanger such tubes isrby these ns divided intoa mnltiembodying the features of the present invention, plicityof transverse air passages, the ns in fact certain minute details not being shown on acn providing a series of .partitions which directly 55 contact and are connected to the adiacent'tubes `thus forming structural connecting members functioning as reinforcing elements each contributing towards the mechanical stability and strength of the unit, with the several fins providing a relatively large a/rea of heat radiating surface.

'I'hese deeply corrugated fins provide alternate crests Il and intermediate connecting walls Il and, as more specically shown in Fi'g. 5, each crest has a portion which is depressed and crimped to forni a depression i5 of semi-circular shape, with these depressions of l each row of crests being longitudinally aligned to receive the associated tube Ill. Such depressions enable the crests to more closely contact the tube and to partly embrace said tube and thus provide a good thermal contact and maintain the fin in place until the unit is bonded together.

Tests having proven that the unit will have a higher efficiency when the ns Aare somewhat deformed to provide distorted air passages for the purpose of creating certain turbulence in the air currents passing between the tubes and through said air passages, it is proposed to form the depressions I5 in a manner which will produce distorted surfaces which will promoteA such turbulence. To this end, the manufacture of these corrugated fins contemplates the forming of the depressions I5 by merely depressing and crimping a portion of each crest to form a senil-circular recess, the metal being allowed to form as it will into ridges, as indicated at J6, and plaits, as indicated at l1.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a triple pass triple row unit including three of the conduits C, arranged side by side in spaced relationship with their similar parallel tubes I transversely aligned. The inlet and outlet ends of these conduits may be connected by manifold fittings. i8, if desirable or necessary, and the end plates B may be constructed similar in form to the plates B of the single pass unit of Fig. 1, excepting that they will have three rows of the holes Il and apertures i2.

'I'he corrugated fins F2 of this multiple unit are exactly of the same form and construction as the ns F of the single unit previously described,

excepting that they are of greater width and are provided with. three rows of aligned depressions i to accommodate the three rows of parallel tubes. With reference to Fig. 6, it will be noted the single series of wide ns l2 extend through all three coils of this triple unit and thus not only reinforce each coil but effectively tie all three coils together at a multiplicity of points throughout the entire area of lthe unit.

In Fig. 8 there is shown a single pass double row unit in which a single sinuous conduit C2 is formed to provide tworelatively spaced rows of lparallel tubes, with the tubes of said rows stag- I gered transversely, said conduit providing an elongated spiral coilforming a continuous circuit alternately including in sequence the tubes of both rows.

Appropriate end l their elongated apertures 22 angled to correspond to the angular dispositioniof the several return bends of the conduit. Associated with -each row of tubes, of this unit, is a series' of the radiating fins F similar in every detail to the radiating fins `of the unit of Fig. 1.

The present invention further includes an improved structure in`-which amore effective interchange of heat is had by reason of the fact that plates is3 are provided with the radiating fins are formed of metal ribbon which has first been deformed throughout its entire area to augment the turbulence of the air passing through the several air passages formed by said fins. The preferred method of constructing these fins contemplates a pre-deforming of a metal ribbon throughout its entirearea and then forming the above described fin from such predeformed metal ribbon, and while it is within the intended scope of this invention that deformations may be of any particular desired shape and arrangement, VI prefer to make such deformations in the form of relatively slight corrugations extending longitudinally of the metal ribbon, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The fins formed in this manner have the walls Il thereof provided with relatively fine corrugations 20 which extend perpendicular tothe air passages, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

Thus, instead of providing straight-wail passages such as would permit a smooth undisturbed passage of the entrained air, my improved type of baille iin provides air passages formed entirely of deformed metal so that the air contacts only undulatingy or roughened walls which will induce a turbulence of the air throughout its entire trave) through the air passages. This continuous air turbulence produces a higher eillciency of heat interchange than can be had with those types of fin construction in which the fins are deformed only at spaced intervals. y

Further, my improved baille fin produces a structure whichv has a degree of ,strength and stability not inherent in those forms of fins which l are perforated and stamped to provide deflecting surface is provided, with such surfaces deformed throughout their entire area to induce the continuous turbulence of entrained air necessary lto a rapid and effective transfer of heat, the fins further providing direct mechanical connections of Y good thermal conductivity forming heat-conducting bridges between ythe several tubes and functioning as reinforcing means for the entire structure, and while the preferred form of structure shown in the drawinghas been described as being adapted for use in connection with re- I frigerating or air conditioning apparatus, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited in this regard'for it is also well adapted for use in anyv situation in which a heat interchange is to be eected between two liquids` or two gases or between a liquid and a gas, and is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms, all coming within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

.1. Aheat interchange device comprising a plurality of parallel tubes arranged in adjacent rows disposed in spaced relationship with the similar tubes of all of said rows in transverse alignment; and a single series of radiating iins, -each of said hns being disposedbetween similar adjacent tubes 4of the several rows and' being corrugated to form 10 Vadjacent parallel tubes of the several rows and being formed o! a single metal ribbon corrugated to form alternate crests' engaging and forming good thermal contacts with the adjacent parallel tubes and to form intermediate unduiated connecting-walis, said ns having transversely spaced 5 depressions formed in all of their respective crests. with said depressions of the several crests longitudinally aligned to receive the respective tubes. 

